The Number One Rule
by MsMKT86
Summary: Dean meets Cassie and they have a whirlwind romance but as his time in town winds down, he makes a decision that changes the course of their relationship forever.


**A/N: This is a story that I had been working on for a really long time. It's finally finished and I hope you all enjoy it.**

**And as always, REVIEWS = LOVE!**

* * *

"I'm just gonna go." Dean said softly. He hadn't wanted it to come to this point. He had thought that she was different. He broke the number one rule for her.

"Yeah, maybe you should." Cassie's slick voice whispered back to him. She hadn't looked at him since he told her his family secret. Dean wasn't sure where he went wrong. Maybe it was getting attached to her. Maybe it was staying in town for longer than a few days. Maybe it was falling in love with a girl that he would eventually have to hurt. Maybe it was all of those things. The only thing he regretted was lying about who he was.

Dean grabbed his jacket and headed out of Cassie's small apartment.

"Dean?" Cassie called after him. He stood in the open door way with his back to her. He couldn't look at her.

"Yeah?" he answered in his gravelly tone.

"I meant what I said, you know." he heard her voice straining.

"Yeah, I know." Dean said aloud. "Later, Cassie." He shut the door behind him and headed toward the Impala. He threw his jacket in the trunk and got into the driver's seat. He didn't drive away, he just sat there. He couldn't cry. Not over a woman. He wasn't Sam, who was always so in touch with his emotions. He was Dean Winchester and he didn't get attached. At least, he didn't.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Dean?" he heard his father's voice ring though his head. He knew the answer. He knew he could never tell his father the answer, but he knew it. Dean knew that he had had a taste of the "normal life" that Sam had always talked about.

When he was with Cassie there were no demons, vampires, ghosts, werewolves. Nothing except love and happiness. He knew it was a fantasy but it was nice to pretend, even if it was only for a little while.

XXXXXX

"Hey." Dean said to the beautiful brown skin girl sitting at the bar. He only made enough eye contact to say hey. "Can I get a beer?" he said laying some money on the bar. Dean could feel her eyes on him but he was going to make her work for it. She was different and he could tell, his usual, "I'm a talent recruiter" act wouldn't work. The bartender set the beer in front of Dean. He nodded thank you and left the bar.

All night as he moved around the bar, playing pool, flirting with random girl A, then random girl B and random girl C and D at the same time, he could still feel her eyes on him. He sat at a table in the middle of bar with his back toward her. He knew that if he waited just a little while longer, she would come over to him.

"Excuse me?" he heard a sweet voice say behind him. He turned slightly in his chair and saw the girl he had been waiting on.

"Yeah?" he said, still peering over his shoulder, a crooked smile etched across his face.

"May I have a seat?" she said, walking around to the chair across from his.

"Yeah, why not?" he said taking a sip of his beer.

"Who are you?" she was blunt. She looked him right in the eyes.

"Who are you?" he returned her bluntness. He watched her eyes smile as she sat back in her chair.

"Cassie." she answered.

"Cassie what?" Dean asked.

"You first." she said

"Dean."

"Robinson." she said smirking.

"Winchester." he said smiling crookedly.

"Well Dean Winchester, what are you doing in Athens, Ohio?"

"Well, Cassie Robinson I'm a transfer student."

"Bullshit." Cassie laughed.

"What?" Dean questioned her with a smile on his face.

"I just mean is that the name of the course you're taking? Bullshit 101?" she joked.

"Ha ha. No. Don't I look smart enough to go to college?" Dean said tugging on either side of his open leather jacket.

"You want a real answer?" she answered smuggly.

"As long as it's not going to hurt my feelings." Dean said with a chuckle.

"Oh I'm sure that an attractive, pool hustling, leather wearing flirt like you can handle anything I have to say."

"You think I'm attractive?"

"Not really a compliement. More of a factual statement." she explained in a matter of fact tone, even though Dean could see the slight flush of pink in her cheeks at being called out.

"Right, Cassie." Dean smirked again. He liked this girl. She was different than any other girl he had seen in a college town. He wanted to pursue her, but he wanted to see her more than just tonight.

"So, Dean, tell me about yourself. Any siblings?" She said hailing a waitress to bring them two more beers.

"Uh yeah one brother. Younger. Sam." he said, hoping she wouldn't ask him anything else about his family.

"Oh, so your the big brother. Cute. I'm an only child. What about your parents?" She asked. She saw him physically cringe. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just blurted that out."

"No it's ok." Dean said. She was the first girl that even tried to actually know him. "My dad travels a lot." He said.

"Is he like a straight laced business man?" Cassie chuckled.

"More like a no nonsense man." He answered. "I'm not even sure where he is." he said under his breath.

"Why? What's he do?" she asked. Dean looked at her. He was surprised she had heard him.

"Uh, he sells old warehouses and stuff. We travel a lot because of it." he explained.

"Ok. What about your mom?" she asked trying to change the subject of his dad. She could tell it was a touchy subject for him.

"Uh she died." Dean answered, watching his hands peel the label off his beer bottle. "I was four and Sam was six months. There was a fire at our old house."

"I'm so sorry Dean. I'm so nosy. All up in your business." Cassie said her eyes pleading for forgiveness.

"No it's cool It was a long time ago." Dean said with a weak smile. The two sat in silence for a few moments.

"You want to get out of here?" Cassie asked. He couldn't believe it. During the time that he had spent talking to her, he figured that she would have eventually find an excuse to leave, but she didn't. Her face was as serious as her question.

"Yeah." he answered pulling the keys to the Impala out of his jacket pocket and followed her out of the bar.

XXX

"Oh my god." Cassie said laughing, as they stepped into the cold air outside the bar.

"What?" Dean asked with a smile.

"Is this really your car?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah." Dean said as his eyes caressed the Impala's frame. "Cassie, this is Baby." he said opening the passenger door for her.

"You're one of those guys, huh?" Cassie said climbing into the car.

"I'm a car guy. Baby is important to me." Dean said, getting behind the wheel. "So where are we going?"

"Just drive." Cassie said smiling.

"Ok." Dean started the car.

"What the hell is that noise?" Cassie asked, cutting her eyes at Dean.

"What noise?"

"That rattling, when the heat came on." Cassie said leaning up. Dean hesitated. The only other person that knew about that noise was Sam, but there was something about Cassie that he knew she wouldn't judge him.

"When I was like eight, I shoved some Legos down there. Every time the heat comes on, they rattle." Dean said glancing at her. He relaxed when he saw the smile ease onto her face.

"Make a left right here." Cassie said pointing.

"There's nothing here." Dean said pulling into and empty lot.

"I know!" Cassie said jumping out of the car when it stopped. Dean watched her run around the open field and dance in the moonlight. She didn't seem like the type to cut loose and have fun like that. "Are you coming?" she shouted with her arms spread wide. Dean smiled and exited the car. He leaned against the hood and his memories took hold of him.

"Dean?" he heard Cassie's voice pulling him back to reality.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Where were you?" Cassie asked, sitting down on the hood beside him.

"Ahh, it's nothing. You wanna beer?" Dean said standing up and heading to the back of the car.

"Yeah sure." she said with a smile. Dean had hoped she would drop the subject by the time he came back with the beers. He opened the rear door and grabbed two beers from the metal cooler behind the driver's seat and headed back to the front of the car.

"Here ya go." He said handing her one.

"Thanks. Soo..." she said taking a sip. "Where were you?" Dean took a deep breath and a swig of his beer. "Come on Dean. You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." she prodded.

"Alright, alright. Fourth of July, 1996." Dean said looking straight ahead. She didn't say anything at first.

"Well, what happened?" she asked quietly.

"Uh, I took my brother Sam to this open field with some fireworks. I let him set them all off at one time. He had the time of his life." Dean said with a chuckle. "I don't know. You're dancing around like a crazy person just brought that back."

"Shut up! That's sweet what you did for your brother." Cassie said with a smile. "Well, back home in Louisiana, I would do this all the time. I didn't have a Sam to play with, but my imagination was very active." Cassie confessed. Dean let out a little chuckle when he noticed the pinkness in her cheeks.

"This is fun." Dean said, sliding on to the hood, leaning against the windshield. Cassie followed him. Dean looked at her. Her thin arms folded behind her head full of naturally curly hair, the moon casting beautiful shadows over her smooth skin. Her lips curved into a small grin as she watched the stars. Dean watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed in and out, he saw the goosebumps rise on her midriff as the cold air blew across her skin. Her perfect legs crossed at the ankles. She was perfect, but Dean knew that perfect always came with a catch.

He knew she was human. He had slipped holy water into her beer at the bar, she had laughed when he pulled his own silverware out at the bar, but they were pure silver and he needed her to use them. Cassie made him laugh, made him feel comfortable in his own skin. She made him feel like he wasn't weird.

"What are you looking at?" Cassie asked, feeling his eyes on her. She made eye contact with him and Dean knew he wanted her.

"Nothing." Dean answered, smiling. He turned back and looked at the sky. Cassie leaned up on one arm, laying on her side facing him.

"Dean?" she said quietly.

"Yeah." he answered. When she didn't say anything, he looked at her. They just lay there. Looking at each other. Cassie leaned in and kissed him. He was shocked. Most girls wouldn't make the first move. He leaned into the kiss. He felt her hand caress his jaw and he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

Cassie climbed on top of him. She pulled her jacket off and threw it on the ground. Dean sat up and pulled his coat off as well. She grabbed his face and kissed him passionately. Dean pulled her close to him as his hands explored her body. He heard her gasp as he moved his lips from hers to her neck. She pushes him away and peeled the shirt away from her body. Dean looked at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Every time she kissed him his whole body got warm. He wrapped her in this arms again and kissed her bare chest. She moaned and whispered his name.

Dean had no idea what Cassie was thinking. He didn't know that she had wanted him since the moment he approached her at the bar. She kissed him because she knew he wouldn't. She needed to be close to him. Dean was the only guy that she had ever bonded with this quickly.

"Cassie, wait." Dean said as she pulled his t-shirt over his head.

"Wait? What? Why? What's wrong?" Cassie said between the kisses she was planting on his bare chest.

"What are we doing?" he asked, sitting up, her straddling his lap.

"Um..." she said, blushing. "I'm sorry." she said as she started to move away from him.

"Wait." he said grabbing his hips. "I just mean, I don't know about you, but I do shit like this all the time, and it never goes past me dropping you off in the morning."

"You don't even want it to get that far. I get it." Cassie said folding her arms across her chest.

"No Cassie, I want it to get much farther than that." Dean said grabbing her face and kissing her deeply. She wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss. Dean felt her hand on his back. She moaned again as he kissed her neck and down her chest and tops of her firms breasts. She pushed him back against the windshield. Dean watched her as she unclasped her bra. He couldn't help but stare.

Dean watched his hands trace her slender frame. He got chills when he heard her sharp inhale when his hands reached her breasts. He kneaded them and pinched the nipples between his index fingers and thumbs. Cassie moaned in response to the sensations coursing through her body. She almost melted when she felt his tongue slide gently across her nipple.

"God Dean." Cassie breathed out. She panted as he took control of the her body. Dean unbuckled her belt and and unbuttoned her jeans. He rolled her over on her back. She let out a little giggle that drove him wild. After sliding her boots off, he he shoved his fingertips into her waistband and pulled her jeans and panties off in one quick tug. Cassie let out a sigh as the cold air whispered across her bare skin.

"You're beautiful." he whispered, kissing her smooth knees. She giggled again spreading her legs slightly. "You smell even more beautiful." Dean spread her legs apart. She quivered under his touch. He slid his hands down her thighs, he leaned in close and and just took in her smell.

"Dean." she moaned as he kissed her smooth mound. He spread her apart and and his tongue found her wetness. She tried to squirm away from him but he gripped her waist and pulled her closer to his mouth. He heard her moan and pant as she rolled her hips toward him. His tongue explored her depths as his flicked her clit.

Her breathing labored now, she dug her into his hair, pushing him deeper inside of her.

"Fuck Dean!" she screamed as she felt his suck her clit into his mouth. His tongue quickly flicking over it as his slid two fingers deep inside of her. She bucked her hips, but Dean was relentless. His fingers slamming into her, he drew her close to climax. She continued to moan his name and he replaced his fingers with his tongue.

"Dean! Dean! I'm gonna cum!" she screamed. Dean moved away. He tore his pants off. When he looked back at Cassie, she was touching herself and laughing.

"What's so funny?" Dean asking as he armed himself with a condom.

"Free balling it, I see?" she joked.

"Oh yeah, that's how I do it." Dean said, climbing back on to the hood. He straddled her. Kissing her lips, he guided his hard dick inside her. Slowly at first, but when he heard her moan he rammed inside her deeper. Matching each other's pace and rhythm, Cassie and Dean make hot passionate love for hours.

"OHH DEAN!" Cassie screamed ans she reached her climax and felt Dean thrust into her deeper and harder. He groaned and collapsed on top of her.

"You ok?" he whispered in her ear.

"Definitely." she giggled. She kissed him deeply.

"I should get you back." Dean said pulling himself away from her and sliding off the hood.

"Can't I stay with you?" Cassie asked.

"No. I'll see you tomorrow." Dean said tossing her clothes to her.

"Ok. You better." Cassie smiled. "Met me at the Journalism Annex at 5pm ok?"

"Me and baby will be waiting outside." Dean said giving her a crooked smile.

XXXXX

The following day Dean sat outside the Journalism Annex. It was 4:45 and he was just people watching. At 5pm exactly the doors opened and the students poured out. Suddenly Cassie appeared laughing with her friends. When she saw Dean she hugged her friends and jogged over to the the car and got in.

"Hey!" she said kissing him.

"Hey, what are we doing today?" he asked returning her kiss.

"Something special." Cassie said smiling.

"Special?" Dean questioned turning the key in the ignition. "Tell me."

"It's something fun." Cassie said.

"If you're not naked, I'm sure it'll pale in comparison." Dean chuckled.

"Shut up! We'll both be fully clothed the whole time." Cassie said laughing. "It's only a little ways from here."

"Ok." Dean said. He put the car in drive and started to drive. Cassie waved to people as they passed.

"Right here." Cassie said pointing. Dean made a right and pulled into the parking lot.

"Color Me Mine?" Dean asked. "What the hell is this place?"

"You're going to paint something for me to keep." Cassie said smiling.

"What? Cass, do I look like I paint?"

"Come on. I'm gonna paint something for you." Cassie said. Dean groaned and got out. They walked in and Cassie grabbed a small key chain off the shelf and brought it over to him. "This is what I'm going to paint for you."

"A key chain? You're so kind." Dean teased kissing her lips. He looked around the room looking for the perfect piece to paint. He finally saw it and walked over and grabbed it.

"This is for you." he said with a smile. Cassie looked at what he was holding and saw a small charm on a necklace.

"What is that?" she asked taking the piece in her hand.

"It's a heart with a lightening bolt through it." Dean answered. "You're the lightening bolt."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Hell yeah. You struck me. I've never felt this way before."

"That's so sweet." Cassie said misty eyed. She kissed him and the two found a table and began work on their projects.

XXXX

"Where the hell have you been?" John asked his son when he returned to their shared motel room.

"Right here." Dean answered.

"No you weren't. I came back here at ten to pick up some stuff and you weren't here." John said.

"I'm working my own thing up in Athens Dad. You know that." Dean said feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I know that you sleep late, you're gone all day, you're not back when you say you're going to be and you perfectly content in hunting this way." John said his temper flaring.

"Dad, just forget it alright. I've got it under control." Dean said flipping through the magazine that was on his bed.

"Tell me what's going on Dean."

"Nothing. It's going fine. I'm serious."

"I want to know. Tell me. That's an order." John said almost shouting.

"Fine. There is this girl Cassie, I'm protecting her and her family." Dean said.

"From what?"

"Uh, I think it's just a ghost, but I'm still doing research. I've salted all their doors and windows so that's why I can be back here so early." Dean explained.

"Well when you decide to stop lying, you can tell me the truth." John said laying down on the bed. Dean sat in silence as he listened to his dad fall asleep. He reached beside him on the bed and grabbed his keys. In his fingers he rubbed the keychain that Cassie had painted for him. It read **Cassie "hearts" Dean** on one side and on the other it was a big dark red heart. He had loved it instantly. He loved how cute she was when she was concentrating on her work and how she blushed when she caught him staring. He couldn't tell his dad the truth. He wouldn't get it. He would probably forbid him from going to see her anymore. That couldn't happen. Dean loved Cassie. She made his life...better...easier. She was important.

XXXXX

Everyday for the next week, Dean waited for Cassie out side of Journalism Annex. At exactly 5pm everyday she would appear. They would spend an amazing afternoon and most of the night together just enjoying being with each other.

Today was different. It was 5:15pm and Cassie was nowhere to be found. Panic began to set in. Dean got out of the car when he saw a few Cassie's friends that he recognized.

"Hey. Have you guys seen Cassie?" Dean asked approaching them.

"Uh, she was still inside a little while ago." the girl said point to the building.

"Thanks." he said before he ran off toward the entrance. Once inside the building he began searching every classroom and office for Cassie. When he hit the second floor and there was still no sign of her he panicked. His inner hunter took over and he deepened his search. He stopped every person that passed him an asked them if they had seen Cassie and if they had where and if she had been with anyone. He searched every room for traces of anything supernatural.

As he reached the end of the long corridor he heard laughter coming from behind a closed door. He knocked before barging in.

"Hey Dean." Cassie said smiling at him.

"Are you ok?" he asked rushing over to her. He took her head in his hands and began examining her.

"Of course I am." she said pulling away from him. "I was just getting some review sheets from my professor." she said jerking her thumb at the man behind the desk.

"Right. You got everything?" he asked ignoring the man who was now standing with his hand extended to him.

"Yes, but you don't have to be rude." she whispered harshly. Dean set his jaw before he turned and shook the man's hand.

"Let's go." he said releasing his hand.

"Thanks again Professor Fields." Cassie said rolling her eyes at Dean.

"Not a problem Cassie." he said right before Dean slammed the door shut.

"What the hell is your problem?" Cassie said pushing him. Dean didn't answer, he just stormed off. He heard her footsteps running to keep up with his strides. "Dean?" Still no answer. "I'm not moving anymore until you talk to me." she said once they were outside the building. Dean stopped in his tracks. When he turned back to look at her, she had put her bag on the ground by her feet and she had her arms folded across her chest.

"Can we just go?" he said.

"Not until you tell me what just happened upstairs." Cassie said.

"Not now Cass." Dean said turning away from her.

"Dean." she said. When he turned this time she was right behind him. "Talk to me."

"5pm Cassie. We said 5pm." he said avoiding her eye contact.

"I know. I had to get these papers Dean. They're important." she said.

"And you couldn't call me and tell me you were going to be late." he said his voice growing angry.

"I didn't think that being 20 minutes late would send you into over protective boyfriend mode." she said her angry tone matching his.

"I didn't know if something had happened to you." he said.

"I was at school." she said annoyed. "What could have happened? I got a paper cut."

"You can make jokes all you want but I had every right to be afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Nothing. Just forget." he said turning away from her and walking back toward the car.

"No tell me." she said catching up to him again.

"Cassie I don't want to spend my last few days in town fighting with you." Dean said playing with his keys.

"What?" she asked shocked. "When were you going to tell me?"

"I'm telling you now."

"What the hell Dean? You're freaking about me being 20 minutes late and you're leaving town?"

"Not today." he said.

"Goodbye Dean." her agitated voice said as she started down the sidewalk.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"Back to my apartment."

"Let me drive you Cassie."

"No. I think you've done enough today." she said cutting her eyes at him.

"Cassie wait." he called after her again. She stopped and turned to face him.

"What?"

"I have to tell you something." he said bridging the distance between them.

"Then tell me."

"I can't. Not here." he said looking around at all the students milling around.

"When?"

"Tonight." he said. "I'll come back at about 8pm."

"Fine." she said. She turned again and took a step but he grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I never should have acted like that." he said loosing his grip on her.

"Dean what happened?" she asked, this time her voice showed concern.

"I panicked. Listen, after tonight my reason for panicking will make sense." he answered.

"Ok." she said giving him a brief smile.

"I love you Cassie." he said, jamming his hands into his leather jacket pockets.

"I love you too Dean." she said. She leaned forward and her lips found his. He took his hands out of his pockets and pulled her closer.

"What are you doing right now?" she said her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Nothing."

"Come with me." she whispered.

"Where?"

"My apartment." she said smiling. Dean gave her a crooked smile and kissed her again. He took her hand in his and lead her back toward the Impala.

XXXXXXXXXX

Once inside the building Dean couldn't keep his hands to himself. While the stood waiting for the elevator he gripped her butt cheek. She let out an audible moan.

"Stop it." she murmured.

"You know you like it." Dean teased.

"You're so ridiculous." she said with a giggle.

"What floor are you on?" he asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"The second."

"Good because I want you." he whispered in her ear. She turned to face him and kissed him passionately. Dean pressed her against the wall and deepened the kiss. When the elevator door dinged open they made a quick exit and headed down the hallway. Dean kissed the back of her neck and she fumbled with the keys. She finally turned the key in the locks and pushed the door open. Once inside, she threw the keys down and turned and kissed him.

Dean wrapped a strong arm around her waist and slammed the door shut behind him. After he threw his leather jacket down, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Cassie, why are you slamming the..." a voice said. "Sorry." Looking over Cassie's shoulder, Dean spots a petite blonde girl. She was in flannel pajama bottoms and t-shirt that read , 'I got lucky in Kentucky' and her nose was chapped and red.

"Shit." Cassie whispered. She dropped her legs and Dean released her. "I forgot you were sick, Tami."

"I'm sure you did." Tami chuckled. Her gaze moved from Cassie to the tall, dark and handsome man next to her.

"Oh, this is Dean Winchester." Cassie said as she straightened her clothes.

"Hi, I'm Tami Givens. Cassie's roommate." the tiny blonde said.

"Yeah, hi. Dean. Sorry about...well...you know." Dean said with a wave.

"No worries." Tami said. I'll just put my robe on and go next door."

"You don't have to do that." Cassie said.

"It's ok. Mr. I'm-came-back-to-school-to-show-my-wife-I'm-not-a-loser has been over here like six times checking on me. I'll just go lay on his couch instead." Tami said pulling her fluffy pink robe around her. She grabbed her tissues and various medicines and exited the apartment.

"Sorry about that." Cassie said turning to Dean.

"Don't be." he said putting his arms around her.

"Has the moment passed?"

"Hell no." he chuckled. He lifted her into his arms again and they kissed deeply. Dean laid her down on the couch. He reached down and pulled her shirt over her head and then he pulled off his own. Her hand swere busy undoing her jeans and moving on to his. He moved away from her and slid his hand down her thighs and pulled her jeans off. He smiled to himself when he saw how ready she was for him. He leaned down and kissed her again as his hands roved her body. His kisses trailed down her jaw and neck and his hand traveled south. The moment that his fingertips felt her silkiness of her panties _Enter Sandman by Metallica_ began to blare from his pocketed phone. "Fuck." he said into her neck.

"Don't answer it." she said

"I have to." Dean said rolling away from her. He pulled his phone out and flipped it open. "Yeah?"

Cassie sat up and watched him. His face hard and his body stiff. He was listening intently.

"Yes, sir." he said reaching down and handing her her jeans. "Where?" he asked as he leaned back and buttoned his jeans, the phone pinned between his shoulder and ear. "Yeah I know where that is, uh when?" he asked the caller. Cassie gave an annoyed sigh as she stood and stepped back into her jeans. "No, that's plenty of time." Dean said as he stood up. He had her shirt in his hand. He held it out to her and she snatched it away. Dean made a face. "Yeah Dad, I get it." he said before finally hanging up.

"So, I'm assuming that you've gotta go." she said her arms folded across her chest.

"Yeah. My dad needs me." he answered as he slid his phone back into his jeans.

"Well where are you going?" she asked.

"To finish the job he's on."

"And you have to leave now?"

"If I want to get there in time, yeah."

"He can't do it alone. I mean he's been doing it alone this whole time right?"

"He has but he shouldn't have had to." Dean said.

"He's a big boy Dean."

"The job is dangerous. He shouldn't be doing it alone. Not when he has me."

"What the hell is so dangerous about selling old warehouses Dean?" she asked angrily.

"Do you remember when I told you that my reason for panicking would make sense after I told you what I had to tell you?"

"Yeah."

"My dad and I...what we do. It's dangerous." he said.

"I thought he sold..."

"Let me finish. We're hunters." Dean blurted out.

"Hunters? So what? A lot of people hunt Dean." she said.

"Not like this." he said with a nervous chuckle.

"What's that mean?"

"Right now, I have to leave and meet my dad to kill the thing he's been hunting."

"What is it like a bear or something?"

"No, it's a nest of vampires."

"What?"

"My dad has been tracking vampires for the past two weeks." Dean said. "That's why I panicked. They've been taking college girls around your age. Four have went missing from the Ohio State campus in Lima."

"Vampires aren't real Dean." she said angrily.

"Yes they are. So are werewolves, ghosts and demons." Dean said taking a step toward her. She moved back. "They're real and me and my dad hunt them."

"That's...why...you could've..." she sputtered. "You're crazy, Dean."

"Cassie I have an arsenal of guns, knives, holy water, stakes and any other weapon I could use to gank something evil."

"I want you to go!" she yelled.

"Please just let me explain." he said. "I want you to understand. I want you to believe me."

"Vampires, werewolves and ghosts is all you could come up with?" she said blinking away tears.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Nothing. I'm sure you don't want to keep your dad waiting." Cassie said, still blinking rapidly.

"I'll come back when we're done."

"Don't. There is nothing left to say, Dean." she said.

"Cassie, what can I do? How can I make this ok?"

"You can't. There is nothing that you can do except get out and never think about me. I don't want to see you again." she said. She quickly brushed away a tear that had escaped.

"So that's it? You're breaking up with me?"

"I think it's better this way. We're clearly going in two separate directions with our lives so yeah, I'm ending it." She said, her voice cold.

"But I thought that maybe...yeah ok." Dean said as he looked her in the eyes. "Can I get a hug?"

"No." she said as she saw him halt his step. "I really don't want you near me again. We're done."

"I'm just gonna go." Dean said softly. He hadn't wanted it to come to this point. He had thought that she was different. He broke the number one rule for her.

"Yeah, maybe you should." Cassie's slick voice whispered back to him. She hadn't looked at him since he told her his family secret. Dean wasn't sure where he went wrong. Maybe it was getting attached to her. Maybe it was staying in town for longer than a few days. Maybe it was falling in love with a girl that he would eventually have to hurt. Maybe it was all of those things. The only thing he regretted was lying about who he was.

Dean grabbed his jacket and headed out of Cassie's small apartment.

"Dean?" Cassie called after him. He stood in the open door way with his back to her. He couldn't look at her.

"Yeah?" he answered in his gravelly tone.

"I meant what I said, you know." he heard her voice straining.

"Yeah, I know." Dean said aloud. "Later, Cassie." He shut the door behind him and headed toward the Impala. He threw his jacket in the trunk and got into the driver's seat. He didn't drive away, he just sat there. He couldn't cry. Not over a woman. He wasn't Sam, who was always so in touch with his emotions. He was Dean Winchester and he didn't get attached. At least, he didn't.

_"What the fuck were you thinking, Dean?"_ he heard his father's voice ring though his head. He knew the answer. He knew he could never tell his father the answer, but he knew it. Dean knew that he had had a taste of the "normal life" that Sam had always talked about.

When he was with Cassie there were no demons, vampires, ghosts, werewolves. Nothing except love and happiness. He knew it was a fantasy but it was nice to pretend, even if it was only for a little while.


End file.
